1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of playing a game of chance, primarily BINGO; however, the system according to the invention is adaptable to a variety of "number" or "sign" games, such as Keno, Lottery, Roulette, etc.
2. Prior Developments
The game called BINGO involves the prediction or selection of a combination of numbers, according to the appearance of the numbers on a BINGO card. Each game player receives one or more BINGO cards, each containing e.g., twenty five spaces, arranged in five columns under the letters in the name BINGO printed on the card. The third space in the "N" column is a free space that can be used in any winning combinations; the other twenty four spaces have numbers printed thereon, designating the player's number selection for the respective spaces.
There are seventy-five different numbers used in the BINGO game. Numerals 1 through 15 can appear in the "B" column; numerals 16 through 30 can appear in the "I" column; numerals 31 through 45 can appear in the "N" column; numerals 46 through 60 can appear in the "G" column, and numerals 61 through 75 can appear in the "O" column. Any particular card will have twenty four of the seventy five numerals printed thereon. The number combinations will be different on different BINGO cards.
Each game player has the objective of holding a BINGO card having a winning combination of numbers; various different winning combinations are possible, e.g. five numbers in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally; or all spaces on the card, or the four corner spaces.
The winning numbers are selected by drawing the numbers out of a box or container. In professionally conducted BINGO games the numbers are printed on individual ping-pong balls placed in a container having pressurized swirling air for rapidly circulating the balls within the container chamber. Air exhausted from the chamber propels a selected ball out of an exit opening in the container front wall, such that the game operator can read the number on the ball as a selected number.
Balls are drawn out of the container until the different selected numbers are matched by the numbers on one or more BINGO cards as winning combinations.
One problem with professionally conducted BINGO games is the relatively high cost of the air chambers used to contain the numbered ping-pong balls. Such chambers are not feasible for small BINGO games, i.e. games having only a few participants, such as in convalescent homes, family reunions, or party situations.
Another problem with conventional BINGO games is that the game players cannot select the numbers to be used on their individual BINGO cards. Each player is restricted to a particular combination of numbers printed on the selected BINGO card.